kletsgo posted:

Hello fellow people making it in Japan! I have a question involving buying a digital piano in Japan and getting it back to America. If I've posted this in the wrong place, I will remove this.

My reasons for buying the piano are that I'm looking for a way to keep up my piano skills for the next two years I'm in Japan. I've already been in Japan for one year, and I miss playing the piano a lot. I used to play it every day back in the states, and not having a piano to play has made it harder to cope when I feel down. I want to get a nice digital piano with good resistance so I can easily transition to acoustic pianos without having any issues with finger strength (having a digital piano would also be a plus since I don't want to disturb my neighbors at my apartment).

I would like to get this piano: http://www.roland.co.jp/products/jp/HP508/

The store in Osaka that I was going to buy the piano at said that long-term use of the piano in America, even with a power converter, would damage the piano. The piano is 100V (50/60Hz) and at maximum usage of the volume and other features would take 85 watts.

I will be moving back to California in a little less than two years. I've looked at power converters online, but I've come across a few people saying that long-term usage of power converters is a bad idea for sensitive electronics. However, my Japanese friend has claimed that what she has heard from other Japanese people who have brought their digital pianos to the states has been positive and that power converters are doable.

Does anyone know anything about the effects of using power converters between Japan and the US? Since the piano is pricey, I would like it to last for years after I move back to America. Is a good power converter a feasible long-term solution?

Thanks for all your input!

I am OK posted:

If you have time, get the shink to Himeji instead. Osaka castle grounds are lovely, the castle itself is pointless. Its just a giant Leopalace. Himeji castle is in a big box at the moment, but the grounds are even lovelier than Osaka and you can still go into the battlements, which are AWESOME. If you like history you will not regret this at all, trust me.

If you want to see shrines, Kyoto is 35 mins away on the train. Go there instead. Osaka is basically girl bars, food and shops.

Grand Fromage posted:

I don't have a ton of time unfortunately, just three and a half days. I didn't realize how close Kyoto is. I've been to a couple Shinto shrines before, I just like wandering around in them a bit. They don't need to be super incredible, though that's always nice. I'd like to go to Kyoto sometime but is just a short day trip worth it?

Grand Fromage posted:

I don't have a ton of time unfortunately, just three and a half days. I didn't realize how close Kyoto is. I've been to a couple Shinto shrines before, I just like wandering around in them a bit. They don't need to be super incredible, though that's always nice. I'd like to go to Kyoto sometime but is just a short day trip worth it?

I am OK posted:

If you do go, make sure you go to the Inari shrine. It owns so hard.

caberham posted:

Grand fromage you should abandon Japan and come to Hong Kong instead. Get a tonne of cooking supplies, eat Thai food, fresh seafood and hook you up with a decent mattress and room.

I can also get you your Japanese fix out of your system. We have ginza bairin for tonkatsu, a few almost identical tsukiji sushi places , 24 hour ichi ran ramen. And a few cheap Japanese curry places.

diddy kongs feet posted:

How easy is it for foreigners to sell/trade in at stores in Tokyo? I'm picking up ~8kUSD (retail value) worth of camera equipment I left with someone on a previous trip and don't really want to bring it all back with me since it'll blow my luggage allowance. I'm dying to get rid of it and as much as I'd want some decent bank on the gear (stuff is an easy 5k second hand, just moves slowly) I'm happy to be lowballed and have it off my hands as long as I get at least a little pocket money. I heard MAP Camera Shinjuku buys gear but I'm not sure whether being a foreigner on a holiday visa is going to cause any issues there. Also hugely circumstantial question I know, but what sort of trade in prices can I hope for on big ticket items like this? Even completely offhanded anecdotal answers are appreciated. Any other stores that will buy my crap? It's a high end professional tripod setup in case anyone was wondering.

Stumbling Block posted:

The Inari shrine is the only remaining to visit place in my list for when I find myself in Kyoto or have a day free in nearby Osaka. A combination of a lack of time and too lazy when I was in Kyoto just last month (and missing out on the peak autumn colours by just one week, goddamnit!) meant I had to give it a miss.

Next time I guess.

Grand Fromage posted:

I know Japan is cash mainly, but I really really really want to get out of Korea for a few days. How terrible an idea is it to go to Osaka with a card? I can scrape together some cash but if I could go at least 50/50 on cash/card that'd be fantastic, since I don't get my yearly bonus until after vacation for obvious reasons.

My travel basically involves eating all the things and wandering around looking at castles and museums and stuff. I had cash when I went to Tokyo so I didn't try to charge ever.

Shibawanko posted:

What kind of card do you have? I think I've mentioned this before, but I found that a lot of restaurants only take JCB or some other type of esoteric card. English menu places might accept other cards though.

erobadapazzi posted:

To continue the theme of Korea goons going to Japan in the winter...

My husband and I have booked our flights and will be in Japan from February 15-28. We fly in and out of Osaka. Our original plan was to spend about a week based in Kyoto, fly to Tokyo, hang out there for the rest of the time, and then fly back to Osaka the day of our flight back to Korea. Now, however, I'm starting to think maybe we should try to see a little more of the country. I've been to Kyoto before (about 11 days with a Buddhism class in college), but my husband has not been to Japan at all.

With our timeframe, would there be any cost-effective way to see more? I can't really see a way to make a JR-pass make sense, but I would welcome any suggestions (we would both prefer trains to flying if price were not an issue). Any recommendations? We like temples, food, and public bathing. We also like being outside and active.

I'd appreciate any advice. I've been trying to research and plan, but I keep getting overwhelmed by information. Thank you!

erobadapazzi posted:

I am OK posted:

Nooooo after a night bus you spend the whole next day recovering and so waste it. Unless you're like 18 and can deal with it.

Rogue 7 posted:

Hello soon-to-be-fellow Japan goons! I'm sitting in LAX right now waiting for my flight to Narita. I'm doing the standard English teacher gig after a year teaching in Korea and a few months home. I'll be in Saitama prefecture, and I'm excited to get started. I just spent the past few days with my family- it was my grandfather's 90th, and I got to hear a great deal about his missionary/teaching work in Japan after the war, and I'm hoping I'll hold up the family tradition- I'm the 5th generation to live and work in East Asia.

Rogue 7 posted:

Okegawa. I puttered around on Google Maps and it looks quite nice, especially compared to the city I was in in Korea (Pyeongtaek is kind of a shithole, but there were good people there)

WarpedNaba posted:

Jesus was buried in Japan, eh?

Pompous Rhombus posted:

I'm planning a roadtrip next summer from Kyushu to Hokkaido and back

Rogue 7 posted:

Okegawa. I puttered around on Google Maps and it looks quite nice, especially compared to the city I was in in Korea (Pyeongtaek is kind of a shithole, but there were good people there)

Pompous Rhombus posted:

Ugh, Safari somehow ate my original message:

Is there a website that amalgamates local festivals/events/etc around Japan? (Preferably in English, can deal with Japanese.) I'm planning a roadtrip next summer from Kyushu to Hokkaido and back, and thought I ought to start looking to see if there's anything I should structure my itinerary around. Tentative dates are from July 20th - August 23rd or thereabouts.

zmcnulty posted:

So what IS good about Saitama, besides being next to Tokyo? What kind of balance are you talking about? Hell I'd probably live in Chiba or Tochigi before Saitama.

zmcnulty posted:

So what IS good about Saitama, besides being next to Tokyo? What kind of balance are you talking about? Hell I'd probably live in Chiba or Tochigi before Saitama.

Pompous Rhombus posted:

-Hokkaido: Rebun island, probably a bunch of riding around/camping/staying at Rider's Houses. Supposed to be very good for camping in summer, I'm a little concerned the rest of the country is gonna be kinda hot at night.